Journey into taste with Dante Alighieri’s Train between Florence and Ravenna
A unique travel experience, between food and wine, art, culture in the name of slow tourism on board a historic train, which crosses the heart of the Tuscan-Romagnolo Apennines to discover the lands that Dante Alighieri visited on his journey between Florence and Ravenna. An enchanting route that combines famous cities of art and medieval villages completely immersed in nature. But also a journey into taste, to discover the food and wine excellences that can be found along the passage of Dante’s Train (www.iltrenodidante.it), ready to restart in this summer 2022 on Saturdays and Sundays until July 10 and from 27 August to 30 October (except 10 September), with an extraordinary race on Tuesday 1 November.
136 km (from Florence to Ravenna) aboard a train called “Centoporte”, made available by the FS Italiane Foundation, which travels on the Faentina railway line, the first in Italy to cross the Apennines, has three environments: one open for the standard class (third class at the time), with the characteristic wooden interiors, the first and second class with upholstered sofas and Liberty details, for a total of 230 seats to which are added the postal wagon and the historic engine. Today of trains with these characteristics only a few examples remain in Italy and are considered real jewels in the history of passenger transport, being granted to the public only for special occasions like this.
The food and wine itinerary of Dante’s Train
The train leaves from Florence, the city where Dante was born in 1265. The city offers many places to visit that tell the Poet, including the House of Dante and the nearby Church of Santa Margherita, where the Poet met Beatrice, who tradition he wants her to be buried here. And again the profile of the Poet carved on the floor of the church square, while Dante’s mask is kept in Palazzo Vecchio. What to eat: the simple typical dishes, from the high and rare “Fiorentina” steak, to the first courses such as Pappa al pomodoro and Ribollita. Lampredotto is ordered in the kiosks, two slices of Tuscan bread embrace a perfectly cooked tripe. What to drink: in addition to the Florentine Chianti Docg, also the other famous Tuscans such as Brunello di Montalcino Docg and Nobile di Montepulciano Docg.
Continue towards Vaglia, the first municipality of Mugello (Fi), to then reach the first stop in Borgo San Lorenzo (Fi). What to eat: Zuccherini del Mugello, round biscuits, with holes in the middle, scented with anise, and the Mugello bread, without
sale as per ancient artisan tradition. What to drink: to diversify the previous “drink”, Chianti Classico Docg, minimum aging of 24 months.
The train then leaves for Ronta (Fi), Scarperia and San Piero a Sieve (Fi) – two towns that have always been united and dominated by the Medici family – to continue on the hills of Vicchio which gave birth to Giotto and Beato Angelico. After passing Crespino del Lamone (Fi) – a village known for the quality of its water and fountains – the train continues and stops in Marradi (Fi), the Apennine town where the poet Dino Campana was born. What to eat: Marrone del Mugello PGI, the basis of many exquisite desserts and Farinata con le Leghe, made with black cabbage, corn flour and beans. What to drink: a production, courageous and difficult, given the mountain area, is that of Pinot Noir and Malvasia.
The next stop is in Brisighella (Ra), home of the noble Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Brisighella Dop” and of the Moretto Artichoke, small and rustic, never genetically modified and which grows only here: on the slopes more exposed to the sun of the chalky gullies.
To drink: we entered Romagna and the journey through the many vines of this land also begins. Let’s start with the white Pagadebit Doc. It owes its name because in the past the tenant farmers exceeded to pay the debts with this grape, always with excellent yields.
Trebbiano di Romagna Doc are also excellent.
We arrive in Faenza (Ra), famous all over the world for artistic ceramics. To eat the typical pasta of the city: the Curzul. The term means shoe laces, due to the shape. They are square section strings, thicker and shorter than tagliolini. The sauce for the Curzul is the red one with shallot of Romagna Igp, even better if with the meats of Mora Romagnola, an ancient native pig breed. To drink: we are in the heart of the production of the two symbolic wines of Romagna, the king Sangiovese Doc and the queen Albana Docg in the dry, sweet, passito and sparkling versions, but also the native Centesimino (or Savignon Rosso).
Finally Ravenna, the city where the Supreme Poet completed the composition of the cycle of the Comedy and spent the last years of his life until his death in 1321. Here stands the Poet’s Tomb near which the Museum and the House were recently inaugurated. dedication to the Poet. To eat: the Piadina romagnola Igp, the most famous of street food, prepared express in the colorful kiosks, stuffed with Squacquerone di Romagna Dop or typical salami and cold cuts. Without forgetting Cappelletti, Strozzapreti, Tagliatelle al ragù and Spoja lorda (it is a dialectal way to describe when the filling in a pasta is scarce and therefore it is understood that the pastry is just dirty), meats of native breeds and healthy Blue Fish of the Adriatic. To drink, the autochthonous reds of the “low” Tundè Igt and Burson Igt.
On Sundays (3 July, 10 July, 28 August, 4 September, 11 September, 18 September, 25 September, 2 October, 9 October, 16 October, 23 October, 30 October, 1 November) the Dante Train leaves from Florence at 8.50 for hours in Ravenna in the morning (11.57) where it will remain parked until the restart, scheduled for 17.54. Four intermediate stops: Borgo San Lorenzo, Marradi, Brisighella and Faenza, all places that have marked Dante’s life.
On Saturdays, however, you can choose the new “cruise” formula. In this case there are three technical stops and a prolonged stop (1 hour and 30) in Brisighella (2 July, 27 August, 24 September, 8 October, 22 October) or Faenza (9 July, 3 September, 17 September, 1 October ), October 15, October 29). With the “cruise” formula, travelers can complete the purchase with excursion / tasting options in the two cities, including: oil or traditional ice cream tastings and a visit to the medieval village of Brisighella (one of the most beautiful in Italy) , the discovery of artistic ceramic traditions and the neoclassical city of Faenza.
The service on Dante’s Train is also personalized and of high quality: on each car there is a travel assistant who takes care of accompanying travelers in their experience and narrating the history of the places touched during the exile of Alighieri. , which most influenced its existence and work.
Tickets for Dante’s train are on sale on the website www.iltrenodidante.it. Prices: single route € 38.00; round trip € 56.00 (discounts for children and free up to 4 years).
On the site there are also many tourist packages on sale to complete the trip, among others: Discovering Dante’s places in Ravenna; Dante and the Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna; Wellness and relaxation in Faenza; Ceramics, Mosaics and Dantesque places between Faenza and Ravenna; In the hills in Romagna between Faenza and Brisighella; Mountain flavors and Dante’s places between Marradi and Ravenna.
For information: [email protected]
Dante’s Train is a 2021 project commissioned for the 700th anniversary of Alighieri’s death by the Emilia-Romagna Region and developed by Apt Servizi Emilia-Romagna with Toscana Promozione Turistica. Organization: Il Treno di Dante srl
from CS